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National Green Tribunal has taken cognizance over the issue of the adverse effect of tourism in the Himalayas considering a news item published in The Hindu dated February 27, 2022, titled “Tourism has brought economic prosperity to the Himalayan region, but the environmental cost has been catastrophic”.

A bench of Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, Justice Sudhir Agarwal, Prof. A Senthil Vel and Dr. Vijay Kulkarni, Expert Members has directed the GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, Almora, to conduct a study in 12 Himalayan States and submit its report within 3 months.

The Tribunal has taken note of a media report to the effect that there is huge damage to the environment in eco-sensitive Himalayan States of India on account of unregulated tourism activities, which needs to be regulated and checked to effectuate the Sustainable Development principle.

The bench observed that, "While tourism generates huge income and also employment, it also results in generation of huge waste which is not scientifically handled, resulting in damage to the fragile ecosystem of Himalayas. Hillocks of garbage can be seen in the peripheries of the cities in the said region in absence of requisite facilities to remediate the waste in scientific manner."

"This results in release of harmful toxic gases in the atmosphere, contamination of ground water due to formation of leachate and air pollution due to open burning of waste," the order added.

The news report has claimed that… "Tourism in this region generates some eight million tonnes of waste every year...the Indian Himalayan Region is facing an as yet unrecognised existential crisis: mountains of solid waste."

In addition to this, the Tribunal has directed Secretary, Environment, Government of India to conduct an online meeting with the Chief Secretaries of 12 States within one month of the receipt of the report of the G.B. Pant Institute as well as other inputs which may be compiled by the MoEF&CC from its own sources to steer preparation of appropriate action plans in all the 12 States, dealing with the mitigation measures to offset the adverse impact of tourism activities on the environment.

The 12 States include Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, West Bengal Hills, Meghalaya, Assam Hills, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh."

Case Title: In re : News item published in The Hindu dated 27.02.2022 titled “Tourism has brought economic prosperity to the Himalayan region, but the environmental cost has been catastrophic”